I told someone today that I really appreciated their cheerfulness, and I could tell it really meant a lot to them. :) It is a really nice connection to give someone recognition and appreciation for their service.
The person remarked that they had been talking about customer service at their business. For example, the person claimed three people would jump to help you at a 1950's service station: (1) check your tire pressure; (2) check your oil; and (3) fill your vehicle. And all of that with a smile. The person said many businesses today are credit card swipers, and they have lost connection with their customers. The businessperson said that they think the personal service works, and I readily agreed.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Loquat Wine?
What the heck to do with all these loquats?
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques9.asp
http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-fruit.html#1
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques9.asp
http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-fruit.html#1
Saturday, May 16, 2009
2009 5th Annual Sacramento Japanese Film Festival
We attended the 5th Sacramento Japanese Film Festival at the Crest Theater this Friday and Saturday. The films this year (descriptions from the festival guide):
The festival provided goodie bags on Friday night, containing:
Some notes:
- Love and Honor (2006): Young samurai, Sinojo Mimura, has challenges. Food taster to the shogun, Mimura loses his vision by eating poisoned fish. He also loses his court position and his means for a living. To secure their future, his loyal wife submits to his superior. Director Yoji Yamada has broken through the clichés of the samurai tradition in this film. Mimura carries the banner of the samurai, but he is also a conflicted, bitter man trying to do the right thing in a rigid, hierarchical society. The film's one sword duel won’t disappoint the most avid samurai aficionado. Winner of three Japanese Academy awards in 2007. (Japanese with English subtitles).
- Go For Broke! (1951): MGM broke through racial barriers with this WWII docu-drama on the all Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat unit who fought with great distinction in Italy and France. The film depicts the unit's 5 day assault through German lines and rescue of 211 surrounded men of the Texas National Guard. The 442nd suffered heavy casualties and became the highest decorated unit of its size in WWII; 21 members received the nation's highest military award--the congressional medal of honor. Starring the 44nd soldiers and Van Johnson.
- Most Honorable Son (2007): Ben Kuroki says that enlisting with the Army Air Corps was, “my personal answer to Pearl Harbor.” The Nebraskan son of Japanese immigrant farmers intended to farm when WWII intervened. The War Department had ordered Japanese Americans to be classified as "undraftable enemy aliens," but Kuroki and his kid brother had already enlisted. He flew 58 missions over Europe and the Pacific and was honored with the Distinguished Service Medal in 2006.
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006): An anime time travel film with a great story. Makoto is a cute, Japanese high school kid whose bike brakes fail, putting her in the path of an oncoming train and certain death. She opens her eyes to find herself minutes before the crash which she can avoid. Using her new gift, Makoto changes events when things don’t go her way the first time around. She also learns that we are all interconnected and that her actions bring danger to those close to her. 2007 Japanese Academy Award for Best Anime. (Japanese with English subtitles)
- A Stranger of Mine (2005): Begins with a shy business man, Miyata and a woman, Maki, who have been discarded by their lovers. The both of them suffer through an awkward restaurant date. Things happen. Miyata’s ex shows up. She has a boyfriend and a suitcase full of cash. Director/writer Kenji Uchida reveals what is happening through using flashbacks and several points of view. Winner of three awards at the 2005 Cannes film festival. (Japanese with English subtitles)
The festival provided goodie bags on Friday night, containing:
- Meiji "Dippy" Dip-stick Snack (chocolate)
- Rice cracker assortment
- Chopsticks (wooden, plain) in an embossed paper pouch (kanji symbol for "health" in gold) wrapped with woven silver and gold plastic threads
- 5th Annual Japanese Film Festival pen
- Burpee Morning Glory Flying Saucers seeds courtesy Capital Nursery
- Coupons for local Japanese restaurants
- Assortment of various Sacramento freebies: Sacramento Region Travel Info bag clip; United Health Care's SecureHorizons info for seniors; Spare the Air info; CalVet Home Loan pen;
Some notes:
- Speakers preceded each film with background information
- Several members of the 442nd infantry were present. That was pretty surreal as they stood to applause. After seeing that I would have believed it had they pointed out Abraham Lincoln and Ben Franklin. Very cool!
- One of WWII's Military Intelligence Services (MIS) agents delivered a short talk after the showing of Go For Broke!. He described how Japanese-Americans would walk into caves in the Pacific theater of operations and talk Japanese soldiers into surrendering (as opposed to ritual suicide). o_O They would often have civilian hostages and this saved many lives. That blew me away.
- Everyone was very friendly and cheerful. Could not ask for a better volunteer staff.
- The granddaughter of Ben Kuroki delivered a letter on his behalf. Apparently today was his 92nd birthday and he could not attend.
- This was the film festivals first anime screening, due to patron requests.
- Hints were made that the festival date might be moved in 2010. I think they mentioned something called "am-gem (jam?)" but I am not sure. To ensure notification, they requested people sign up for their newsletter.
- A Crest Theater signage restoration project has begun! Scaffolding covers the historic sign from top to bottom.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Summer 2009 Class
Hmm...looking at online classes this summer through the Los Rios Community College system:
- ARC: CISW 350 Imaging for the Web (Adobe Photoshop CS4) ... seems way too easy: http://dcs.losrios.edu/dcsclasslisting.aspx?career=ARC&term=1096&sub=CISW&type=onl
- ARC: CISN 110 Networking Technologies - Preparation for N+ Certification ... wondering if too easy... http://dcs.losrios.edu/dcsclasslisting.aspx?career=ARC&term=1096&sub=CISN&type=onl
- CRC: CISW 410 Middleware Web Scripting ... sounds interesting...but not after looking at the example site :P http://dcs.losrios.edu/dcsclasslisting.aspx?career=CRC&term=1096&sub=CISW&type=onl
- CRC: CISS 300 Introduction to Information Systems Security ... sounds interesting! http://dcs.losrios.edu/dcsclasslisting.aspx?career=CRC&term=1096&sub=CISS&type=onl
- CRC: CISS 301 Ethical Hacking ... sounds really interesting! Advisory: CISC 323 (Linux), 356 (Intro to LANs); and CISS 300 (Intro to Security); http://dcs.losrios.edu/dcsclasslisting.aspx?career=CRC&term=1096&sub=CISS&type=onl
- SCC: CISN 336 Wireless Technologies ... sounds really interesting! Prereq: CISN 141 or 341, http://dcs.losrios.edu/dcsclasslisting.aspx?career=SCC&term=1096&sub=CISN&type=onl
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Family Visit 2009 Itinerary
:)
My mother, my brother, and his girlfriend are coming to visit from May 27-June 2.
Wed, May 27:
My mother, my brother, and his girlfriend are coming to visit from May 27-June 2.
Wed, May 27:
- Pick up Ford Hybrid Escape from Enterprise @ 2:30 p.m.
- Guests arrive on UA flight #367 @ 3:30 p.m.
- Drive to Yosemite straight-away. Arrive Yosemite ~7:30 p.m.
- Yosemite View Lodge Hotel (~$40/person/night, including tax)
- Yosemite Guide: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm
- Typically Yosemite Village area events
- Yosemite Guide: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm
- Typically Yosemite Village area events
- Checkout of hotel in the morning.
- Yosemite Guide: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm
- Typically Wawona area events (Mariposa Grove)
- Back to Sacramento
- Rest day
- Ideas: Old Sacramento, state capitol grounds, food
- San Francisco day trip:
- Leave Sacramento ~6:30 a.m.
- Muir Woods ~8:30-9:30 a.m., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muir_Woods
- Lombard Street, the "Crookedest Street in the World", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombard_Street_(San_Francisco)
- Arrive Ghirardelli Square ~10:30 a.m., http://www.ghirardellisq.com
- Brunch + dessert at Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Shop
- Cable Car ride to Union Square, arrive ~11:30 a.m.
- Chinatown 11:45-12:30 p.m.
- Cable Cars to Fisherman's Wharf
- Alcatraz Tour 2:20-5:00 p.m.
- Fisherman's Wharf
- Homeward bound....
- Wedding (civil ceremony)
- Lake Tahoe
- ~6:00 a.m. flight home for our guests
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Bus #31 Verbal Violence
2:15 p.m., Wednesday afternoon, riding the #31 Regional Transit bus to California State University-Sacramento for CSC-137 lab.
Behind me and to my right, toward the rear of the bus, a woman sits with earbuds playing music loud enough I can hear it. I am tired, squinting at printed assignments.
The driver hears her headphones too. At a stop near J and Alhambra, he turns around and motions with his hands to her to turn down the volume. He repeats his demand verbally. She turns down the volume and he resumes driving. Meanwhile, she has not reacted well to the demand. She lets out an angry tsk and says to no one in particular, "You have got to be *explitive* kidding me." Tension.
Two stops go by. The driver turns around again and tells her to turn off her headphones. Gasoline, meet flame.
The driver tells her he can still hear the music and demands she turn off her music. The woman refuses to back down, seems to react defensively by arguing she has the right to play her music. She interlaces her argument with expletives, refusing to turn off her music player.
The driver demands she stop using explitives. Repeats his demand a second time. Three times. It is not working. She continues arguing with raised voice. He attempts to make the argument she is holding up her fellow passengers. She is having none of it. She tells him to do his job and drive the bus instead of waiting. Stop being the music police. It seems the bus driver realizes he has lost control of the situation and digs in. He tells her she can leave the coach or stay and be cited. She chooses the latter. He calls it in. We wait.
Ten minutes go by. Tension. The woman waits, apologizes, seeks support from the five or six other passengers. I say nothing. I am stunned by the violent rhetoric and too drained to give either of them any empathy. The passengers are largely in her favor. The driver says nothing. He has done this before. The woman has not. She calls her parole officer and leaves a message detailing the incident.
A fellow passenger who seems sympathetic to the woman's plight chooses to leave the bus. As he does, he passive aggressively suggests the bus driver try sex to change his attitude.
A Regional Transit security officer arrives, greeting the driver at the door. Outside the bus, he is putting on black gloves. He is moderately overweight, with a white moustache and a hard look. He boards the bus and immediately demands the woman exit the coach. She does, he follows. Through the now closed mid-section door, I can see and hear her arguing with him. We wait for 30 seconds. The security officer pauses, walks to the door of the bus, and informs the driver he is good to go. We pull away, leaving them behind.
At the next stop, the passenger who left the bus reboards and joins the other passengers behind me. He admits he feels like a "stupid *explitive*" for getting back on the same bus. A few people express frustration that they were not able to help her tell her side of the story.
Ten minutes later we arrive at the University.
I do not think either one of those people got what they wanted through their actions. I cannot imagine the bus driver, the woman, or the security officer enjoyed the encounter. To think if it all could have been avoided by simply (easier said then done, in reality) not using demands and not getting defensive.
Behind me and to my right, toward the rear of the bus, a woman sits with earbuds playing music loud enough I can hear it. I am tired, squinting at printed assignments.
The driver hears her headphones too. At a stop near J and Alhambra, he turns around and motions with his hands to her to turn down the volume. He repeats his demand verbally. She turns down the volume and he resumes driving. Meanwhile, she has not reacted well to the demand. She lets out an angry tsk and says to no one in particular, "You have got to be *explitive* kidding me." Tension.
Two stops go by. The driver turns around again and tells her to turn off her headphones. Gasoline, meet flame.
The driver tells her he can still hear the music and demands she turn off her music. The woman refuses to back down, seems to react defensively by arguing she has the right to play her music. She interlaces her argument with expletives, refusing to turn off her music player.
The driver demands she stop using explitives. Repeats his demand a second time. Three times. It is not working. She continues arguing with raised voice. He attempts to make the argument she is holding up her fellow passengers. She is having none of it. She tells him to do his job and drive the bus instead of waiting. Stop being the music police. It seems the bus driver realizes he has lost control of the situation and digs in. He tells her she can leave the coach or stay and be cited. She chooses the latter. He calls it in. We wait.
Ten minutes go by. Tension. The woman waits, apologizes, seeks support from the five or six other passengers. I say nothing. I am stunned by the violent rhetoric and too drained to give either of them any empathy. The passengers are largely in her favor. The driver says nothing. He has done this before. The woman has not. She calls her parole officer and leaves a message detailing the incident.
A fellow passenger who seems sympathetic to the woman's plight chooses to leave the bus. As he does, he passive aggressively suggests the bus driver try sex to change his attitude.
A Regional Transit security officer arrives, greeting the driver at the door. Outside the bus, he is putting on black gloves. He is moderately overweight, with a white moustache and a hard look. He boards the bus and immediately demands the woman exit the coach. She does, he follows. Through the now closed mid-section door, I can see and hear her arguing with him. We wait for 30 seconds. The security officer pauses, walks to the door of the bus, and informs the driver he is good to go. We pull away, leaving them behind.
At the next stop, the passenger who left the bus reboards and joins the other passengers behind me. He admits he feels like a "stupid *explitive*" for getting back on the same bus. A few people express frustration that they were not able to help her tell her side of the story.
Ten minutes later we arrive at the University.
I do not think either one of those people got what they wanted through their actions. I cannot imagine the bus driver, the woman, or the security officer enjoyed the encounter. To think if it all could have been avoided by simply (easier said then done, in reality) not using demands and not getting defensive.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sacramento in Late March 2009
Perfect weather:
- 21 C (70 F)
- Sun is shining
- Everything is green
- Birds singing
- Blossoming trees and plants
CSC 130 Has a Night Class
This is good news on my way to a graduate degree: CSC 130 has a section that meets M, W from 5:30-6:45 p.m.
This semester, I have to take time off from work to attend a M, W 9:00-10:15 a.m. class.
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This semester, I have to take time off from work to attend a M, W 9:00-10:15 a.m. class.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Radio Songs
Heard on KDVS 90.3 out of Davis, CA on Friday:
Liverpool, UK-based LadyTron's "He Took Her to a Movie" from their 2001 album "604" on the Emperor Norton label. Video.
Liverpool, UK-based LadyTron's "He Took Her to a Movie" from their 2001 album "604" on the Emperor Norton label. Video.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
MIT Switches Away from Scheme
But you can still take the course for free:
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-001Spring-2005/CourseHome/index.htm
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-001Spring-2005/CourseHome/index.htm
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Surnames
Schultz 83 99 104 117 108 116 122
+ Hustig 72 117 115 116 105 103
83 171 221 232 224 221 225
= S « Ý è à Ý á
SCHULTZ 83 67 72 85 76 84 90
+ HUSTIG 72 85 83 84 73 71
83 139 157 168 160 157 161
= S ‹ � ¨ � ¡
:P
Four Variable Karnaugh Map
Failing to find a four-variable Karnaugh Map that looks like the version in Mano and Kine's Fourth Edition "Logic and Computer Design Fundamentals", I created my own version:
I am releasing this image as a public domain work. Hope it helps.
Source Inkscape SVG file available here: http://kevinschultz.com/four-variable-karnaugh-map.svg.
I am releasing this image as a public domain work. Hope it helps.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
VHS Cassette Repair
Spent 30 pleasant minutes today learning how to take apart and put back together a VHS cassette:
http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2008/01/23/how-to-repair-a-vhs-tape/
http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2008/01/23/how-to-repair-a-vhs-tape/
Thursday, March 19, 2009
SxSW 2009 Songs
Going through the torrent of music from the South by Southwest festival 2009.
Songs I like:
Baltimore, Maryland-based Adventure's "Battle Cat" 
Alaska in Winter's "Berlin"
Alela Diane's "White As Diamonds"
Alex Smoke's "A Moment to Myself"
All Tiny Creatures' "To All Tiny Creatures"
Allison's "Algo Que Decir"
Ana Silvera's "Gardenias and Cigarettes"
Anchorsong's "Set the Bears Free"
A-Trak's "Say Whoa"
Baddies' "Battleships"
Bang! Bang! Eche!'s "4 to the Floor"
Beausoleil's "I Spent All My Money Loving You"
Belladonna's "Black Swan"
Big Sam's Funky Nation's "Up in Here"
Black Cherry's "Radio"
Blackstrap's "Rough Parade"
Bleeders' "No Hope Left"
...
and it goes to the L's ;) So it will take a while.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Engaged
Heart-shaped, natural purple sapphire, 2.175 carats, on a white gold band. The deep purple color comes from trace elements of vanadium.
I proposed to Dawn on Saturday, March 7 at the Muir Woods National Monument, an old-growth stand of coastal redwood trees in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The sun was shining, a lone unseen songbird greeted us, and Redwood Creek rushed to our left. At Cathedral Grove I kneeled and proposed, and Dawn said "yes."
We spent the remainder of the day visiting Ghirardelli Square for chocolate desserts, riding cable cars, visiting Japantown and Chinatown, and eating an incredible dinner at Chez Panisse in Berkeley.
Dawn requested I include a link to the wine we had that night, the 2007 Bandol Rosé, Domaine Tempier. The waiter explained that the woman who makes it served as a mentor to Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters. Highly recommended by our waiter, deservedly so.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Verilog + IKEA Instruction People
Dawn suggested that the Verilog manual should include pictures of the IKEA people if/when it gets stuck in an infinite loop:
vimrc
se nohlsearch
se ic
if (&term == 'xterm' || &term =~? '^screen') && hostname() == 'my-machine'
" On my machine, I use an old Konsole with 256 color support
set t_Co=256
let g:CSApprox_konsole = 1
endif
se nu
se tabstop=2
se shiftwidth=2
se sw=2
se expandtab
se nosol
se showmode
se autoindent
se wrapscan
se wrap
se nobackup
se smartindent
se title
se ruler
se scrolloff=2
se shortmess=at
se showcmd
se showmatch
se paste
syntax on
highlight cComment ctermfg=2
highlight cCppOut ctermfg=7
highlight Comment ctermfg=2
highlight Directory ctermfg=2
highlight NonText ctermfg=White
highlight Preproc ctermfg=7
highlight String ctermfg=6
highlight Number ctermfg=3
highlight Character ctermfg=6
highlight tclComment ctermfg=2
highlight tclLineContinue ctermfg=2
highlight makeComment ctermfg=2
highlight vimComment ctermfg=6
highlight shComment ctermfg=2
highlight idlComment ctermfg=2
colorscheme koehler
map 0i/* $A */
inoremap # X^H#
UPDATE 2013-02-24: added term color wrapper (via)
se ic
if (&term == 'xterm' || &term =~? '^screen') && hostname() == 'my-machine'
" On my machine, I use an old Konsole with 256 color support
set t_Co=256
let g:CSApprox_konsole = 1
endif
se nu
se tabstop=2
se shiftwidth=2
se sw=2
se expandtab
se nosol
se showmode
se autoindent
se wrapscan
se wrap
se nobackup
se smartindent
se title
se ruler
se scrolloff=2
se shortmess=at
se showcmd
se showmatch
se paste
highlight cComment ctermfg=2
highlight cCppOut ctermfg=7
highlight Comment ctermfg=2
highlight Directory ctermfg=2
highlight NonText ctermfg=White
highlight Preproc ctermfg=7
highlight String ctermfg=6
highlight Number ctermfg=3
highlight Character ctermfg=6
highlight tclComment ctermfg=2
highlight tclLineContinue ctermfg=2
highlight makeComment ctermfg=2
highlight vimComment ctermfg=6
highlight shComment ctermfg=2
highlight idlComment ctermfg=2
colorscheme koehler
map
inoremap # X^H#
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
CSUS Commuter Pass Savings
I pay $35.00/month for unlimited use of public transportation through discounts available to civil servants. This saves $140 (March-June). Open University registration did not start until February, so I had to buy my February pass at work.
The normal cost of a monthly regional transit pass adds up to $100. So that amounts to a $500 savings (Feb-June) for most CSUS students.
CSUS Open University tuition this spring cost $640 for four credits ($160/credit).
So far, I have been able to reduce that by $150 (tuition reimbursement at work) + $140 = $290 (~45%). This does not include purchase of required books, which equals ~$150. So overall, ~37% in savings. Every little bit helps.
The normal cost of a monthly regional transit pass adds up to $100. So that amounts to a $500 savings (Feb-June) for most CSUS students.
CSUS Open University tuition this spring cost $640 for four credits ($160/credit).
So far, I have been able to reduce that by $150 (tuition reimbursement at work) + $140 = $290 (~45%). This does not include purchase of required books, which equals ~$150. So overall, ~37% in savings. Every little bit helps.
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